A hidden memo board

WOW!!

What a surreal day! TDC was highlighted on The Nate Berkus show today and it’s been so cool seeing all the new visitors around here! :) (I don’t think the segment is up on his site, but I’ll video tape it and post it for those who didn’t see it if you’d like!)

Thanks to Nate for the wonderful mention on his show, welcome to my new visitors and thanks again to my readers for all your sweet comments. Whew. Crazy!!

OK…only to the organization goodness. I started this project just a teensywhile ago. OK, maybe it was about eight months ago. It’s sat half way done for all that time.

About eight months and day ago…I decided I was tired of the all of our random notes, phone numbers and pizza coupons cluttering up the side of the fridge, so I had a bahhhrilliant idea. I still had magnetic paint from the chalkboard I created in our kitchen years ago:

I decided to utilize the cabs right next to the fridge – I wanted to paint the insets of the doors (inside) with that fun magnetic paint and make it into a little, private memo board.

I was all YAY – I’ll use what I have, it will take about 20 minutes, and BOOYAH I am good. Well, in my world, as soon as you think it or say it out loud, the opposite happens. Like when I was five minutes early to a dinner the other night (which never, ever EVER happens) and congratulated myself (to myself). Then I drove into the parking lot only to realize I was supposed to be at another location fifteen minutes away.

Gah.

Anyway…I know better to say it out loud folks.

The thing with magnetic paint is that it needs to be shaken SUPER, freaky, well. Every time I’ve used it before, I’ve taken it to the hardware store and have it done in their machine. If you don’t, the magnetic goodness sits at the bottom no matter how well you stir. At least for me. I must be a wimp, cause I can’t get that stuff up into the paint to save my life.

Because I didn’t have much paint left (and Paint Guy tells me they can’t put an almost empty can in the shaker), I figured I could mix it myself.

About five coats later I finally gave in. The stuff was not magnetizing – so the inside of the doors sat like this for eight months:

Isn’t that lovely. I had taped them off, but I left the tape up there so long, it wouldn’t come off all the way:

So when I decided to finally tackle this again, I had to use an x-acto knife to get the tape off:

It had become one with the cabinet after all this time. :)

I got it cleaned up and went ahead with my idea to fix my failed idea. I found some perfectly sized pieces of galvanized metal at a local True Value:

For MONTHS I tried to find the perfect metal pieces to fit in there – I’d find the right size, take it home and find out they weren’t magnetic. GAH!

Then I got galvanized metal roofing stuff (that was magnetic), but I was going to have to cut it all down to make it work…and I just needed a teeny bit, not a whole roll.

So THIS stuff was perfect!! It was something like 80 cents a sheet? And I found it at a little bitty small town True Value store – who would have thunk that?

I put it up with hot glue, just in case I ever wanted to take it down:

I am NEVER taking it down, now that it’s done. But you know, just in case. :)

Now I could hang our random bits of paper! But when I went to find our magnets, I couldn’t find one. It had been so long since I started this project, I had gotten rid of ALL of them in a purge. :)

Since I’ve been feeling crafty lately, I decided to make some new magnets. I made some of these cuties last year for little Christmas gifts:

(Sorry for the crappy pics – my battery was dying on me!)

I know…you’re wondering why I didn’t just use these. :) Well, I found them when I dug through my craft stuff – I forgot I still had some. And I remembered that the roll ‘o magnet that I used on the back of them last year wasn’t nearly strong enough for my liking.

And I wanted to craft darn it! OK?!

So I gathered my supplies:

The French Onion dip is optional. :)

You can find these little glass jobbies at any craft store – I think they’re a few bucks for a bag?:

I use Aleene’s clear glue:

Just brush it on the back – you don’t have to use much!:

I kind of forgot that and globbed it on. It took forever for them to dry!

Just lay them glue side down on the paper. You’ll want to push them onto the paper well, so all of the air bubbles come out. After they dry, use an x-acto knife and trace around them to cut each one out.

I used some heavy duty magnets from True Value for these, and glued them on with liquid nails:

Oh yeah…they’re totally Christmasified:

Aren’t they too cute?!

I used some square glass pieces I had as well -- they make adorable little magnets too:

I was so motivated, I printed out a list of pizza places and their phone numbers:

Now our pizza place memo board is complete! And caauuute!:

Now the coupons, lists and phone numbers are hidden, but still easily accessible. All for less than $3 in metal sheets – that is what I’m talking about!

And it only took eight months! I rock. ;)

Unless your kitchen is all fabulous and you have ALL glass cabs, you could easily do this to the inside of any cabinet! Five useless coats of magnetic paint not necessary. :)

*I was one of the bloggers selected by True Value to work on the DIY Squad. I have been compensated for my time commitment to the program as well as my writing about my experience. I have also been compensated for the materials needed for my DIY project. However, my opinions are entirely my own and I have not been paid to publish positive comments.*